AfricaLive: Could you tell us about what inspired the creation of the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub and how it contributes to the country’s vision for economic diversification and sustainable development?

Diane Mongudi: We are Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH), a national innovation agency established by the government of Botswana to facilitate and support innovation. Located in a 57-hectare plot within the Special Economic Zone, investors who set up in the park have access to incentives such as tax benefits and labour dispensations. 

The government established BDIH to develop and operate a Science and Technology Park to help diversify the economy from being mineral-reliant and transform Botswana into a knowledge-based economy. We do this by promoting and facilitating research, development, education, and innovation activities. We support startups and existing companies, especially those in ICT, innovation, research institutions, and advanced training institutions.

BDIH exists to support innovators and high-tech entities by enabling the innovation ecosystem to drive Botswana’s economic diversification. We work with various stakeholders, including innovators, startups, public and private sectors, research and academic institutions, and local, regional, and international partners. Our incubation centre assists innovators from the ideation stage to commercialization.

The park was set up for Botswana to embrace opportunities arising from the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We realise that digitization and innovation present immense opportunities to help the country move towards a knowledge-based economy.

AfricaLive: What do you do to foster collaboration between partners, and what does partnership mean to you?

Diane Mongudi: At BDIH, we thrive through partnerships. We have local, regional, and international partners who assist us with capacity training, enabling us to provide our startups with business advisory services to develop unique, innovative products and services. 

One example is our partnership with Amazon Web Services and UNICEF to train and upskill unemployed youth in cloud computing. Some of the beneficiaries are now employed, entrepreneurs, or have created employment for other youth and the community.

Partnerships are the way for us to deliver on our mandate. Being a member of the International Association of Science Parks gives us access to other partners to help us achieve our goals.

AfricaLive: What are the key sectors you’re looking to develop in Botswana, and how do these align with the country’s strategic priorities?

Diane Mongudi: As BDIH, we focus our efforts on several areas. One is the mining sector, as Botswana is a leading diamond producer. We support the sector with the latest technologies and skills. Another focus area is ICT, to benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution and global ICT developments. 

We also focus on clean technology, as Botswana has abundant access to solar energy. Biotechnology is another area where we support innovators. Additionally, we are moving into the agricultural sector and indigenous knowledge systems to commercialise community knowledge into products.

AfricaLive: How important is including indigenous knowledge in your national innovation plans, and how do you see this developing in the coming years?

Diane Mongudi: Indigenous knowledge systems are one of our focal areas. We have a dedicated program to target and deliver interventions and support to traditional knowledge holders. Botswana has a wealth of knowledge that can be converted into commercialised goods and products.

We profiled traditional knowledge holders across the country and developed interventions to assist them. Through the Botswana Innovation Fund, a seed fund for innovators, we ran a call specific to the IKS space and approved several projects. We incubate these projects to ultimately commercialise the products and services. We also assist with IP registration to protect their intellectual property.

It’s an exciting space for us at BDIH, and we believe there are immense opportunities. We need a specific, deliberate program to maximise the potential of this sector.

AfricaLive: What are the major challenges in creating an innovation economy in Botswana?

Diane Mongudi: Innovation in Botswana is still small, so we need to bring together the various players within the sector to work together and benefit from available opportunities. We realise that innovation and technology have the potential to drive economic growth.

One challenge is that we are still new and have a small economy, resulting in a small ecosystem. We need to ensure coordination of different activities within the innovation ecosystem. Another challenge is investment in the sector. Botswana has been lagging in R&D and innovation investment. With the right investment, we should be able to realise the immense opportunities that come from the innovation ecosystem.

AfricaLive: Can you share any success stories of startups or innovative projects emerging from Botswana and their impact on the country?

Diane Mongudi: One success story is Ditech, a startup that manufactures electronic gadgets like cell phones, computers, and laptops. They are resident within the park and produce for orders even outside the country, supplying Uganda and South Africa. They went through our incubation program, received funding from the Botswana Innovation Fund, and are now in the market, employing several youths. Their assembly plant is located within the park.

Another company, Creative Insights, developed a queue management system app. Instead of physically queuing at the bank or elsewhere, you book your line using the app, which informs you when it’s your turn. They also went through our incubation program and are currently contracted by the Botswana government. They also provide services to the Kenya Post Office.

AfricaLive: How do you ensure that the people of Botswana are put first when addressing concerns around automation and its possible impact on employment?

Diane Mongudi: Innovation presents opportunities for Botswana to build a thriving digital economy and support long-term economic development. Everyone needs to understand this and support efforts to realise these opportunities.

As BDIH, our mandate is to assist the country in moving towards a knowledge-based economy. We are involved in skills development programs, like our partnership with Amazon Web Services and UNICEF to upskill youth with the right skills to develop our country and compete globally.

We are also heavily involved in STEM education, promoting it from the grassroots level, from primary to university. We recently held a national robotics and coding event in Gaborone, with participation from schools, including those from rural areas.

We have a database of over 2,000 innovators in the country, and we are deliberate in our interventions to upskill and upgrade their abilities to assist the country in embracing opportunities from the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the innovation sector.

AfricaLive: What is your long-term vision for driving innovation in Botswana, and how will the country change through your work?

Diane Mongudi: We believe that with continued investment and support, the sector can help Botswana propel itself to the forefront of technological innovation and position itself for a better future.

One of the initiatives we are currently working on is a national digital transformation strategy called the “Smart Botswana Strategy” to digitise Botswana and develop a digital economy. A key project under this is the “Smart Botswana Lab,” located within the park. This space will be available to all innovators, equipped with the latest technologies in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and 3D printers. Innovators will utilise this infrastructure for prototype testing and enhancing their digital solutions to support Botswana’s digital transformation.

Working with academia, research institutions, funding institutions, and the private sector, the lab should contribute tangibly to national technological development and utilisation. This flagship project will help channel digital products and services to assist the country in embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

We believe that the innovation and technology sector has the potential to drive economic growth, create new industries, increase productivity, and open up new markets for businesses. By strengthening this sector, we should be able to attract investment, increase economic activity, create jobs, and expand economic opportunities. This is how we envision the sector contributing to the economy of Botswana and assisting the government in achieving its ultimate goal of transforming our economy into a knowledge-based one.

AfricaLive: How confident are you in the long-term future for Botswana, and what is your confidence rating between 0 and 10?

Diane Mongudi: I will give a score of 8, very confident. The reason is that the government is now committed to ensuring that we digitize the economy through the development of the Smart Botswana Strategy. For the first time, the government has allocated significant resources towards this initiative, with 1.8 billion Pula from the last budget speech by the Minister of Finance. Additionally, the government has injected close to 1 billion Pula into research and development.

With this investment and the participation of the private sector, we should be able to propel Botswana forward and realise the opportunities that come with investment in innovation. Debswana, one of the leading mining companies in Botswana, has also committed significant funding, about 1 billion Pula, towards research and innovation.

These are exciting moments for us at BDIH, and we believe that with this investment, we should see innovation thriving in Botswana. We are also working on different pieces of legislation to ensure a conducive environment for all players within the ecosystem to deliver on their mandates, realise a truly digital economy, and move our country to a knowledge-based economy.